The role of body mass index in high- and low-velocity trauma causing knee injury associated with popliteal artery lesions.

Background: Among arterial traumas, osteoarticular traumas are particularly dangerous, and those involving the popliteal artery are associated with a high amputation rate. Despite representing a minority of arterial traumas, with an incidence that varies considerably by population and geographic location, traumatic lesions of the popliteal artery are challenging. This study aimed to verify the impact of body mass index (BMI) on arterial trauma damage and patient outcomes.

Pyrrhic victory? Long-term results of biliopancreatic diversion on patients with type 2 diabetes and severe obesity.

Background: The long-term results after biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and severe obesity is still being debated.

Objective: Retrospective evaluation of the long-term metabolic and clinical conditions of patients with T2D following BPD.

Setting: University hospital.

Diabetes Resolution at 10 Years After Biliopancreatic Diversion in Overweight and Class 1 Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Long-term anti-diabetic effects of BPD in overweight or class 1 obese T2DM patients were investigated reporting the results at 10 years after BPD performed in severely non-obese T2DM patients.

Material And Methods: Thirty T2DM patients with BMI lower than 35 kg/m were investigated at 1, 5, and 10 years after BPD, and the results are compared with those of 30 T2DM patients followed for 10 years on pharmacological and/or behavioral conventional therapy.

Results: Mean levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and serum glycated hemoglobin (HbA1) showed a marked reduction 1 year after BPD, values remaining slightly above the diabetic range throughout the entire follow-up.

Successful conversion strategy in patient submitted to EVAR demanding open surgery: comparative analysis 1997-2011 vs 2012-2020.

Late open conversion in our center has been reviewed in the past 8 years, comparing 1997-2011 (first period group A) with 2012-2020 (second period group B). A retrospective analysis of patients treated at our centre by standard EVAR for infrarenal aortic aneurysm requiring late open conversion between January 1997 and February 2020 was performed. All stent grafts were implanted according to their current IFU all patients.

An unusual complication after endovascular aneurysm repair for giant abdominal aortic aneurysm with aortocaval fistula: High bilirubin levels.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm has among its rare complications the aortocaval fistula. It is observed in less than 1% of all abdominal aortic aneurysms and represents 3%-7% of clinical presentation in case of rupture. A male patient was presented to the emergency department with pulsating mass with continuous vascular systo-diastolic bruit, located in the lower part of abdomen with the back pain radiating anteriorly in lower abdomen.

Bm-iAANAT3: Expression and characterization of a novel arylalkylamine N-acyltransferase from Bombyx mori.

The arylalkylamine N-acyltransferases (AANATs) are enzymes that catalyze the acyl-CoA-dependent formation of N-acylarylalkylamides: acyl-CoA + arylalkylamine → N-acylarylalkylamides + CoA-SH. Herein, we describe our study of a previously uncharacterized AANAT from Bombyx mori: Bm-iAANAT3. Bm-iAANAT3 catalyzes the direct formation of N-acylarylalkylamides and accepts a broad range of short-chain acyl-CoA thioesters and amines as substrates.

Bm-iAANAT and its potential role in fatty acid amide biosynthesis in Bombyx mori.

The purpose of this research is to unravel the substrate specificity and kinetic properties of an insect arylalkylamine N-acyltransferase from Bombyx mori (Bm-iAANAT) and to determine if this enzyme will catalyze the formation of long chain N-acylarylalkylamides in vitro. However, the determination of substrates and products for Bm-iAANAT in vitro is no guarantee that these same molecules are substrates and products for the enzyme in the organism. Therefore, RT-PCR was performed to detect the Bm-iAANAT transcripts and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) analysis was performed on purified lipid extracts from B.

Structural and Mechanistic Analysis of Drosophila melanogaster Agmatine N-Acetyltransferase, an Enzyme that Catalyzes the Formation of N-Acetylagmatine.

Agmatine N-acetyltransferase (AgmNAT) catalyzes the formation of N-acetylagmatine from acetyl-CoA and agmatine. Herein, we provide evidence that Drosophila melanogaster AgmNAT (CG15766) catalyzes the formation of N-acetylagmatine using an ordered sequential mechanism; acetyl-CoA binds prior to agmatine to generate an AgmNAT•acetyl-CoA•agmatine ternary complex prior to catalysis. Additionally, we solved a crystal structure for the apo form of AgmNAT with an atomic resolution of 2.

EVAR and OPEN treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm: What is the role of MMP-9 in the follow-up?

Introduction: The aim of our study is to verify the role of metalloproteinases in endovascular repair (EVAR) and OPEN surgery treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Postoperatively, these enzymes could represent an important biomarker to adapt diagnostic tests and further investigations during follow-up.

Material And Method: From 2004 to 2008, 55 patients were considered with AAA.

Bedside assessment of the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure on lung inflation and recruitment by the helium dilution technique and electrical impedance tomography.

Purpose: Higher positive end-expiratory pressure might induce lung inflation and recruitment, yielding enhanced regional lung protection. We measured positive end-expiratory pressure-related lung volume changes by electrical impedance tomography and by the helium dilution technique. We also used electrical impedance tomography to assess the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure on regional determinants of ventilator-induced lung injury.

Diagnostic accuracy of two tests for determination of anti-m2 in the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis: Is it possible to predict the course of the disease?

To evaluate the analytical agreement between results obtained from the indirect immunofluorescence methods and from the multiplexed line-blot assay and EliA-M2, to analyze the diagnostic accuracy in a cohort of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients and in control patients of two different types of tests for anti-M2 and assess whether, with the advent of a quantitative test, the possibility exists to correlate disease activity with the value of AMA. Serum analysis of 67 patients with fluorescence patterns detected on Hep-2 cells suggestive of PBC-related antibodies and three groups of patients (15 PBC, 16 PBC suspect and 48 disease controls) was carried out. All samples were tested by both a qualitative test multiplexed line-blot Autoimmune Liver Disease Profile Euroline and by a quantitative test EliA-M2 IgG.

Mechanistic binding insights for 1-deoxy-D-Xylulose-5-Phosphate synthase, the enzyme catalyzing the first reaction of isoprenoid biosynthesis in the malaria-causing protists, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.

We have successfully truncated and recombinantly-expressed 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) from both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. We elucidated the order of substrate binding for both of these ThDP-dependent enzymes using steady-state kinetic analyses, dead-end inhibition, and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence titrations. Both enzymes adhere to a random sequential mechanism with respect to binding of both substrates: pyruvate and D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate.

Inactivation of peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase by cinnamic acid analogs.

Peptidylglycine α-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) is a bifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the final reaction in the maturation of α-amidated peptide hormones. Peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) is the PAM domain responsible for the copper-, ascorbate- and O2-dependent hydroxylation of a glycine-extended peptide. Peptidylamidoglycolate lyase is the PAM domain responsible for the Zn(II)-dependent dealkylation of the α-hydroxyglycine-containing precursor to the final α-amidated peptide.

Influences of hormone replacement therapy on olfactory and cognitive function in postmenopausal women.

Olfactory dysfunction can be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease. Since hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may protect against Alzheimer's disease in postmenopausal women, the question arises as to whether it also protects against olfactory dysfunction in such women. A total of three olfactory and 12 neurocognitive tests were administered to 432 healthy postmenopausal women with varied HRT histories.

Canine leishmaniasis surveillance program in a San Marino Republic kennel.

The Republic of San Marino is an autonomous State that, in view of its geographical and environmental features, can be considered a part of the Northern Italian territory, where the canine leishmaniasis (CanL) is endemic. In the past, a CanL focus in the Republic's kennel was described. As a consequence of this epidemiological situation, a surveillance program was carried-out covering a 6-year period (2006-2012).

Specific learning disorder in the primary epilepsies of childhood.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of learning disorders in children with idiopathic epilepsy.

Methods: The study enrolled 16 children with idiopathic epilepsy, 8 with absence and 8 with rolandic epilepsy. This was a standardized neuropsychological assessment with particular attention to learning performance (reading and writing skills/number processing).

Endoparasites of chub (Leuciscus cephalus) in two rivers of the Abruzzo region of Italy.

The relationship between communities of chub endoparasites (Leuciscus cephalus) fished in the Orta and Pescara Rivers in the Abruzzo region of Italy, and the quality of the water in which they are caught, were studied in surveys designed to evaluate the feed quality of fish in the inland waters of the Abruzzo. Samples were taken monthly from October 2000 to September 2001 in the Orta River (Buscesi District) and the Pescara River (near the Villareia bridge); a total of 86 chub were caught. During periods of low and moderate flow in both rivers, benthonic macroinvertebrates were sampled at the fish sampling sites to classify the water quality using the extended biotic index (EBI) method.

Cost-of-illness study in acromegalic patients in Italy.

Introduction: acromegalic therapeutic goals are directed at removing the tumor, preventing tumor re-growth and reducing long-term morbidity and mortality. In this scenario, the acromegalic patient needs a variety of health resources (diagnostic tests, surgery, radiotherapy, specialist visits and drugs) for his/her cure, in order to decrease/stop the progression of the disease and to cure the co-morbid diseases. Lack of epidemiological data has suggested performing an Italian retrospective study aiming to assess the health resource consumption that is caused by acromegalic cure and the relative co-morbidities, in order to estimate the amount of the direct costs of acromegalic patients.

Pilot study on the effect of estrogen replacement therapy on brain dopamine transporter availability in healthy, postmenopausal women.

Objective: Authors investigated the association between estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) and dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in women.

Methods: Thirteen postmenopausal women were administered ERT and underwent neuroimaging, using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and [99mTc]TRODAT-1, a radioligand that binds DAT. In this 6-week pilot study, subjects underwent SPECT before ERT, after 4 weeks of 0.

Lack of efficacy of estradiol for depression in postmenopausal women: a randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Estrogen has been considered as a potential antidepressant in postmenopausal women. Our goal was to study whether estrogen therapy is effective in treating depressive disorders in older postmenopausal women and to determine whether progestins are associated with a deterioration of mood.

Methods: After 2 weeks of single-blind placebo treatment in 87 patients, 57 were randomly assigned to receive 8 weeks of treatment with estradiol (.

Weight gain among women in the late reproductive years.

Background: Given the impact of obesity on mortality and morbidity in women, we evaluated correlates of weight gain in women ages 35-47 years.

Methods: Three hundred and thirty-six African American and Caucasian American women, randomly selected from among urban residents aged 35-47 years and pre-menopausal at baseline, were included in the prospective cohort study. Participants were followed over a 4-year period.